Building on the various Libyan and international calls for a ceasefire, including the Libyan National Army's constructive statement announcing a truce during Ramadan and the response of the Government of National Accord, UNSMIL calls upon both parties to seize this opportunity to immediately halt all military operations and resume the 5+5 Joint Military Commission talks -- on a virtual basis, if needed -- with the goal to reach a permanent ceasefire based upon the draft agreement proposed by the Mission on 23 February.   

UNSMIL welcomes initiatives that will allow the Libyan people, who have borne the brunt of this conflict, to observe the holy month of Ramadan in peace.  The Mission urges all parties to refrain from any provocative acts or statements that threaten the prospects for a genuine truce and its sustainability.  This includes attempts to use periods of calm by one side or the other to reinforce their position.  We thus call on the Member States who are directly fueling the conflict through their provision of weapons and mercenaries and the international community as a whole to use their influence to respect and enforce the arms embargo as called for in the Berlin Conference outcomes and enshrined in UN Security Council Resolution 2510.  

UNSMIL believes that the ultimate guarantee of a lasting ceasefire rests not only on the goodwill of the parties to the conflict but the commitment of the international community to abide by its obligations to pursue and preserve peace and security in Libya.